With You All the Way
by C V Ford
Summary: In coming to this strange, otherworldly school, he thought himself out of reach of the Hell Girl ... Or was he ...


With You All The Way

by

C V Ford

* * *

"Attention ... Jotaro Taniguchi repeat ... Jotaro Taniguchi ... Please report to 'the office' immediately ... Jotaro Taniguchi ..."

Though here over a month, the young man still couldn't help but marvel. Yurippe paging him on the schools' PA system? It was amazing the things one could get away with when Angel wasn't there to directly intervene. Even the faculty staff was as passive as the student npcs without their nemesis' presence. Not that he & other members of Battle Front would "abuse the privilege". The primary "mission" of resistance always being foremost in their minds.

Taking the steps up to Class Bs' third floor, Jotaro mulled over the events of before & after his arrival.

Over three months previous, he entered into a covenant with the Hell Girl. His schools' principal had been making life an almost literal hell, not only for some students but their families as well. His political connections made him virtually immune to any efforts to unseat him from his position. Even Jotaros' own father, the chief of police in their small town, feeling the pressure from those connections, could do nothing.

Taking matters into his own hands, the young man put them into those of the Hell Girl & undid the thread.

Being an adolescent, the concepts of death & eternity held little meaning. Despite having met the harbinger of doom that was Hell Girl, the finality of damnation was far from him. After all, his whole life was ahead ...

That finality was brought home when he met the Hell Girl a second time. From the findings in his hasty "research" skimming through the Shibata book & others, he knew there were only two ways one could meet her. Either from entering into a covenant of vengeance (Already done.) or when she came to ... collect.

In his haste & fear while turning to flee, he tripped over his own feet & in a tumble down a flight of stairs, his neck was broken ... killing him instantly.

In a flurry of events after, he awoke, surrounded by students of this strange, otherworldly school. Two of which, Hinata & Otonashi, quickly hustled him off to what he later learned was the principals' former office & informed of the ins & outs of his & their situation. In his desire to get his bearings & situate himself, he reluctantly allowed himself induction into this curious resistance group, the Battle Front.

His proficiency with a handgun (Thanks to his sessions at the police range with his father.) astounded his fellow Front members. They felt they could have used him on their last raid only days before his arrival.

He was sure that's what his requested presence was about. It being about a months' passing, it was near time for another "meal ticket run". Members of their underground "guild" ate ... a lot.

He rounded the corner from the top floor stairwell & proceeded down the hall to the office door. With the uttered "There is no God, Buddha, or angel", he opened the door & entered.

"I must be an early arrival," his first thought.

Only three other people in the room. Yuri obviously. He could see her left elbow resting on the arm of the desk chair, its back to the rest of the room. It was the other two who got his attention.

Sitting/leaning on the right forward desk corner, arms folded, a tall, grinning young man looking more college age. Though he wore the khaki blazer/black pants of the male SSS, Jotaro had never seen him before. It was possible there were some members he hadn't met yet but he was here over a month ...

The other caught even more of his attention. A very striking woman sat on the desks' other corner filing her nails ... clad in the uniform of a school nurse.

"Nurse?" He thought puzzled. "Why would there be a nurse HERE of all places? Nobody gets sick & injuries heal in no time at all. 'Dying' you only come back. Might as well have an undertaker as a nurse. Just as logical."

His eyes almost left their sockets as the chair behind the desk spun slowly around. The blue & white girls SSS fuku clothed a frame smaller than Yuris'. More that of a middle schooler. It was topped by a luxuriant mane of straight black hair framing a pale, serene visage centered with a pair of arresting red eyes.

He spun round, fully intending a more than hasty exit, only to find his way blocked by an older man clad in maintenance staff coveralls. A man he immediately recognized as the black straw doll stand-in from a few months before.

"Not so fast bud," Wanyudo warned. "Business to discuss."

"A deal's a deal," the young man at the desk stated.

"Payment delayed IS payment denied." Hone Onna knew this more so than anyone.

Jotaro fought down his panic as best he could. His inadvertent evasion of them now proved too good to be true. They were here to take him to ..."

"O ... K ... al... right ..." Hoping to stall. "Then ... Let's get it over with."

He did his best to keep his knees from shaking. His thoughts turned to the Colt .45 copy in his waistband. Would it be possible to ... ?

"Let's not be so hasty," chided the bone woman.

"He certainly does jump to conclusions doesn't he miss?" Ren asked rhetorically, glancing at the seated Ai.

Taniguchi glanced around at each one then settled back on the Hell Girl.

"Conclusions? ... Wait ... aren't you here to ... I mean ..."

"As much as we'd like to, we can't." The man at the door said.

"Can't?" His hope sprang.

"We can't touch you even if you uh ... 'die' here," the ersatz nurse stated. "Most frustrating."

"These things happen sometimes," explained Ren. "We can only get you when you 'leave'."

"What we do is wait," said Wanyudo. "We're good at waiting."

Still looking at the pale apparition behind the desk, Jotaro asked, "is that possible? I thought that-"

For the first time, the pale one spoke. "Even ... in eternity ... there are boundries ... He ... who even our master serves has set them so."

"Boundries?"

"Yes," she replied. "There are places even we can't go."

"But you're ..."

"Only to leave a message," Hone Onna explained. "We feel we owe you that much."

"Owe!?"

Jotaro was now really confused. Why would ANY of them, especially the Hell Girl, feel they had any obligation toward him?

"Yes," said Ren. "Normally we'd let something like this slide until the right time but as your case was much less ambiguous than most ..."

It dawned on the young man what was happening. He had read in Shibatas' book how the Hell Girl was less than enthusiastic in her never ending task. How it brought little satisfaction in consigning people to the netherworld, especially for the pettiest of reasons. Many times for seemingly no reason at all.

But his situation. The man he pulled the thread on was pure dead bang evil. A physical abuser (In every sense of the term.) of children, many were Jotaros' friends. An amoral predator using his political connections in avoiding arrest. More than one hushed conversation was heard between the teens' parents how pressure from above kept this creature from justice.

He also read how the Hell Girl herself may also have been a victim due to abuse of higher authority. If so ...

"So ... " He nervously scanned the room again. "The message would be ...?"

"A short one," the bone woman replied.

He looked at the "nurse".

"Try not to gain contentment or fulfillment."

"Already knew that."

"What you didn't know," countered Ren, "was that we could claim you if you did."

"True ... I thought I might be home free."

The young man paused. At least he was safe from them. For now.

He turned to the Hell Girl. A question to be asked.

"Would it be possible to tell me who pulled the thread on ME?"

"No one."

That brought him up short.

"If no one did then why-"

"It was merely your time."

"My time!? But ... you ... you were-"

"Sometimes," the older man at the door interrupted, "our coming to claim becomes a ... What is it? ... Yes! ... What they call a ... 'self fulfilling prophecy.'"  
Jotaro glanced down at the floor & assessed. The irony of his being here felt heavy. How unfair this had all turned out. And yet ... They at least had the goodness to warn him.

"At any rate," he declared, "I doubt I'll find peace here now that I know what's waiting. Thanks for telling me."

"There is another way."

He turned again to the pale girl behind the desk.

"You may want to leave ..."

"I doubt that. I-"

"One day ... You may become weary of this place ... "

Jotaro stumbled, almost falling as Matsushita grabbed him by the shoulder, steadying him.

"So ... There you are!" Yuri exclaimed from behind the desk. "'Bout time you got here."

Taniguchi gazed about, bewildered. All the main fighters as well as Girldemo present. All looking at him just as puzzled.

"Yes ... I ..." Blinking hard & shaking his head several times in an attempt to clear his mind.

"You all right?"

He looked toward the Leader.

"Yes ... I'm ..."

"Sure about that buddy?" Hinata looking concerned.

"Yes! Of course!." He stated turning his gaze back to Yuri. "Heard you on the PA, got here as fast as I could."

"PA?"

"Yes I-"

"I didn't use the PA."

"Could have sworn ... Once I got the word, I went straight here."

"Still the last one in. Penalty!" Her right index pointed like a gun.

"Where did I see/hear THAT before?" He thought. Aloud he asked, "penalty?"

"Well discuss that later. Right now, it's operations briefing."

With that, Briefing Manager activated & the session was on.

* * *

Session over, the various attendees filed out. They were to gather back here in a few hours for a final run down before Op start.

Jotaro walked up to Yuri & Noda as they were leaving. As they moved through the door he spoke.

"Yurippe?" He noticed the mild annoyance on the Leaders face on hearing that name/title.

"What's on your mind Taniguchi?"

"Remember when I was accepted in? I expressed some doubts about this set-up ... this situation we're in?"

Both Leader & Noda stopped in the hallway facing him.

"Yes I do," she replied with some emphasis. "Feet a bit cold?"

"No ... I just want to let you know ... " He glanced at Noda then back to the Leader. "... All of you ...

"I'm in this with you ... All the way." END

* * *

Storyline copyright © 6-13-13 C V Ford

Disclaimer: The preceding is a NON-PROFIT work of fan fiction for entertainment purposes only. I make no claim to ownership of the COPYRIGHTED names/characters, places, dialogue & events mentioned in this work. They are the sole properties of their respective owners. Please, by all means support the owners of such properties in the purchase & enjoyment of their works.


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